Hollywood is filled with celebrities who have Caribbean heritage. You can quickly think of at least 10 to 15 male actors, singers, musicians, or dancers who have roots in the Caribbean basin. But did you know that many female celebrities born and raised in the Caribbean broke biases and repped the West Indies for several years, and some still do now? Here’s our list of five female Caribbean stars you probably didn’t know were from your home country:
Sandra Denton
Known more popularly as “Pepa” or “Pep” from American rap-duo Salt-N-Pepa, Sandra Denton has her roots in Kingston, Jamaica. After living on a farm with her grandmother for several years, she moved to Queens, New York, to be with her family when she was still a child.
After graduating from high school, Denton went to Queensborough Community College to study nursing, where she met fellow nursing student Cheryl James – Salt. The two quickly made the switch to R&B and hip-hop back in the 80s and 90s, releasing hits such as The Showstopper, Push It (Remix), and Shoop. Despite disbanding in 2002, Salt-N-Pepa continues to do special appearances and features for awards ceremonies and other performances, including, more recently, New Kids on the Block’s newest track, Bring Back The Time.
Denton has also played roles in several TV shows, films, and documentaries. You can also hear her in the intro of Jazmine Sulivan’s hit single Need U Bad, where Denton speaks in Jamaican patois. Today, Pep continues to rep for the rap game and the 876.
Garcelle Beauvais
Famed for her role in The Jamie Foxx Show and now a resident co-host of the daytime talk show The Real, Garcelle Beauvais joins our list of female celebrities hailing from Saint-Marc, Haiti.
Born and raised in Haiti, Beauvais moved to America with her mother and six older siblings when she was seven. Having only spoken French and Creole, she admits to learning English from watching episodes of Sesame Street.
The actress, TV personality, author, and former fashion model still wows fans every day with stunning looks and helpful advice she shares on her talk show, social media, and other philanthropic initiatives. She also gets ready to release her new book, “Love Me As I Am,” which is now available for pre-order.
Hazel Scott
American jazz and classical pianist, singer, and actress Hazel Scott moved from her home in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago, when she was four years old. Her mother, Alma Long Scott, was a classically trained pianist and music teacher who mentored her in music. By the time she was eight years old, she had enrolled at Julliard School of Music in New York and later formed part of her mother’s “Alma Long Scott’s All-Girl Jazz Band,” where she played the piano and trumpet.
Scott continued her music career, traveling across the United States and Europe. In 1950, she became the first black American to host her own TV show, The Hazel Scott Show. Still, one of her most iconic performances of all time has to be her two-piano set in the 1943 movie The Heat’s On, where she played herself.
Scott also used her voice and influence to speak out against racial discrimination and the lack of representation of Black Americans in film.
Selita Ebanks
Featured in high-fashion magazines such as Vogue, Glamour, and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Selita Ebanks is a model, actress, and humanitarian born and raised in The Cayman Islands. Ebanks’ father, a Jamaican her Caymanian mother grew her in George Town, Grand Cayman, with some seven brothers. She moved to the U.S. for high school and began her modeling career at age 17.
Ebanks got her big break when she walked the fall show for Tuleh in 2001. She strutted her stuff on the runway wearing Betsey Johnson, Catherine Malandrino, Pamella Roland, and Tommy Hilfiger. In 2005 she signed a contract with Victoria’s Secret, where she was among a handful of black women selected to wear signature pieces in the shows.
In addition to modeling, Ebanks has starred in several films and TV shows. Currently, she runs her own talent school “Stardom Youth Foundation” in her hometown in the Cayman Islands, providing career guidance for teenagers.
Lorraine Toussaint
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Orange is the New Black star Lorraine Toussaint takes her spot on our list. Now with a trunk-load of accolades under her belt, Toussaint began her performing arts journey not long after leaving the Twin Isle to live in New York with her mother at age 10. She enrolled in Manhattan’s High School of Performing Arts in 1978 and then continued studies at the Juilliard School’s drama division, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
The young actress landed her first job as a Shakspearean actor in Macbeth and continued to play on stage for several years before moving to Los Angeles to pursue TV and film. Her award-winning performances in movies and shows such as Lifetime’s Any Day Now, Selma, Orange Is the New Black, and Fast Color show the depth and range of Toussaint’s talent.
Today, Toussaint lands roles alongside big names such as Queen Latifah, Idris Elba, and Uzo Aduba. She also advocates for black excellence and representation in the performing industry.
These are only a few of the many female celebrities hailing from the Caribbean who continue to break biases, make history, and rep for the Caribbean community. Which other female celebrities from the Caribbean do you want us to feature?
